Plane families must wait to go to Ukraine site

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Malaysia Airlines says it has no immediate plans to fly the relatives of 298 passengers and crew killed in the downing of Flight 17 to Ukraine to visit the site because of security concerns.

A spokesman for the airline says next of kin are being cared for in Amsterdam while a team from the carrier, including security officials, is in Ukraine assessing the situation Saturday.

The spokesman, who declined to be named in line with company policy, said the team was trying to travel “500 kilometers through difficult territory” to reach the area where wreckage of the Boeing 777 landed.

In the Netherlands, travelers flying out of Schiphol Airport laid flowers and signed a condolence book before boarding their flights, including Saturday’s Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 to Kuala Lumpur.